Martial Arts Definitions H
Hachimaki:
“Head wrapping.” A light cotton towel, also known as a tengui, wrapped around the forehead to restrict perspiration from running into the eyes and...
Martial Arts Definitions W
Wa:
“Accord.” An ancient Japanese term for harmony, accord, and coordination.
Wado ryu:
“Way of peace.” A Japanese style of karate developed from jujutsu and earlier karate...
Fighting
I started reading a martial arts book the other day titled Pressure Point Fighting, by Rick Clark. After reading the introduction, and then the...
Martial Arts Definitions Z
Zanshin:
A state of mind which is cultivated by the martial artist of complete awareness and alertness, anticipation of success in combat.
Zazen:
“Sitting meditation.” The meditative...
Martial Arts Definitions C
Capoeira:
A Brazilian form of combat adapted by African slaves to fight oppression. Capoeira is dance-like, and many believe it was developed this way to...
Basic Sumo Terms
Banzuke: An ordered list of men fighting up through the ranks of professional Sumo; a ranking sheet.
Basho: A sumo tournament. In a sanctioned competition,...
Traditional Martial Arts
Traditional martial arts are fighting arts that originated mostly in Asia. They adhere to very specific and traditional training methods and techniques. Most of...
The Meaning of Soke
Soke (Sōke) pronounced (so - ke), is a Japanese term that means "the head family (house)."
In the realm of Japanese traditional arts, it is...
Martial Arts Definitions I
I:
“Will,” “mind,” or “intent.”
Iai:
“Swordplay.” A sword exercise employing a series of thrusting and cutting techniques while drawing and returning the blade.
Iaido:
“Way of the sword.”...
Martial Arts Definitions E
Eishin ryu:
The original style of iaijutsu that embraces numerous kata and is combat oriented.
Eku:
“Oar.” A weapon developed by Okinawan farmers. Today it is a...
Why is Jujutsu Spelled So Many Different Ways
Arguably, Jujutsu is the most frequently misspelled word in the martial arts. The words used, vary from “Ju” to “Jiu” or “Jiuy,” and the...
Martial Arts Definitions M
Ma ai:
The distance between two opponents.
Mae:
“Front” or “forward.”
Mae-geri:
Front kick
Mairi:
Tapping with the hand to signify submission.
Makeru:
To lose or be defeated.
Makiwara:
A karate training post designed for...
Iai or Batto
The very word Iai is the subject of numerous grading essays and has many layers of meaning but its basic interpretation seems to be...
Martial Arts Definitions N
Nagare:
Flow.
Nage:
Throw.
Nage Waza:
Throwing techniques.
Naginata:
“Reaping sword.” A curved-blade spear, once used by Japanese monks and samurai. It is approximately seven feet in length including the blade....
Martial Arts Definitions Q
Quando:
A spear-like weapon with a blade resembling a scimitar affixed to its end. This weapon is extremely heavy, and was used to cut through...
Martial Arts Definitions B
Badik:
A Malayan dagger shaped like a butterfly whose straight blade bears one sharp edge.
Ba Gua Zhang:
Translated as Eight Trigram Palm. One of the three...
